The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1887-06-02

He tormented himself with Constant
brooding Upon them, until the reason
assigned, all logical and weighty ia
the formal precision of the race and
generation; seemed to him strained:
frivolous; and improbable. From
such q conclusion it required ho yi0:
lent effort Of q morbid fancy to ad:
vance step farther, and Leonel per,
suaded himself that Marina was tired
OF him, that she had never loved
him, that she desired to break
the bonds of their betrothal, and
that all these procrastinations
were ominous tokens signifying
that wish and means of gradual ap.
proach to such a rupture. His jeal.
Gus passion increased, battening up
on his misery, until the man had al.
most become insane. And the full
measure OF his own suffering he held tn
the troubled lips of poor Marine.
Every absurd pretext was to him Il
theme of complaint and reproack.
lie found a source OF grievance in the
situation of the Anaya dwelling, on
one of the main thoroughfares, a fav.
orite promenade of the young Span.
iards, who naturally passed thither,
not the less because of Marina's
beauty. The praises lavished upon
her annoyed him as much as if the
girl had courted them. It had come
to pass that every interview between
the lovers resolved itself into bitter.
ness and reproaches and Marina was
half wild with distress. She loved
Leonel most dearly, and she could
not doubt the ardo: of his love for
her as its very intensity was the
source OF his mad jealousy over the.
fatal charm of her beauty.
At last, one morning, De. Ia Mont.
ana passed the house and found it
| closed. His morbid fancy at once
pictured a rival behind the massive
shutters of the the iron-barred win
dows, making his suit to Marina, per.
haps-oh, saints in heaven !-winnine
his cause, and persuadine her to dis:
card the jealous lover. Narrowed by
the thought he WAS Fastening to knock
at the zaguan the great streetportal)
when wicket in one Of the windows
was opened, and a white hand-and
a hand he knew, Marina's band-was
put forth, and slightly beckoned. He
approached, land begged to know thel la.
| dy's will. For all answer O white, folded
missive was held toward him. He
took the letter, the window quickly
closed, and he could but move away
to where he could read at ease:
"Nly worshiped Leonel the iette,
ran, my love for thee has amounted
talrly to worship, since we who love
first only at a mature age concentrate
our affections unfrittered away by
earlier, slighter loyes-I have tried
then, by every tenderness,to convince
thee that thou alone OF men art in
my heart; but have found thee insen.
slble to these assurances. AS my
blind and simple affection can not In.
spire in thee that faith which is essen,
tial to welded happiness, and as my
beauty-which l therefore hold &C.
cursed-is the terrible barrier to our
perfect understanding, 1have resolved.
not in anger nor revenge, but in sacrl.
flee to your love, to convert that i'll.
starred, fatal beauty into aliving hor:
ror, that thou mayest no longer see in
it temptation to disloy atty toward
thee. Naught else can cure my ankle.
ty and distress, and l do not falter.
If thou lowest ME, thus shalt thy trust
revive; thou wilt pardon my insight.
Illness, and we shall once more be hap.
py. If thy love shalt revolt and per.
ish for the horror l become, losing that
tormenting love, thou wilt find peace
again. l will return thee at least the
tranquility have destroyed, either
by dispelling the Illusion, or by pro-
tecting thy passion beneath the wings
offaitb. Thine, MARINA"
The heart of Leonel sank like lead
within him, with the weight of great
To what dread deed had his madness
driven her? He saw now, as if from
beneath q lifted veil, the folly and the
cruelty ofhis exactions and suspicious,
and he realized the depth of the divine
affection he had wronged. Full OF con.
triton. of eagerness, of awful dread,
he FASTENED back to tine house, and
abbreviating as he could the ceremo.
NOUS parley at the door, he sought
Marina's father, and hurriedly told
his fears. The two men moved through
the house quietly, not to attract tho
attention OF tne gossiping servants.
The mother of Marina was away to
visit a sick friend, and the house
was very still. In the ante-sala, OF
ante-room OF the great parlor, they
were overtaken by a servant.
''Don Pablito," she exclaimed, Il
came to tell you that was here dust:
ing q moment ago, and l found tho
brazier gone. l have been seeking
some one to tell, but Dana Claudia is
away, and the Nina Marina is in her
room and does not answer. Quien
sabe how the thief could have come
in! The door-porter must have slept,
sir!'
Anaya checked the girls chatter and
sent her away. In those days. and
until the last few years, it was the Gus,
tom to keep in all well-regulated
houses a small fire of charcoal burn.
ing in a great silver brazier in the an.
te-sala, for the convenience of lighting
cigars or cigarettes. This brazier was
indeed missing here. And through
the interstices OF the doors subtle
odor began to creep, tainting the all
OF the tightly-closed house-a strange
and sickening smell, whose suggestion
caused the flesh to thrill with horror,
| 1NAlu VIC HULL w SIttilu cIcCt. lie tWu
men gazed at each other an instant in
shocked dismay and horror, then Don
Pablo lead the way in haste to Mari,
mas chamber, and threw open the
door. A rush of noxious vapor came
into Leonel's face from the room that
held His love. and his first glimpse oi
it's interior, showed him Marina, bent
over the big brazier ON her light-stand,
with her face laid close upon its glow,
ing Goals. AS her father and Lionel
entered the room, she lifted herself
erect, every line OF her figure express
ing mingled agony and the fortitude
OF resolution, and staggering blindIy
forward, she fell senseless beside hei
bed.
X X
1t was year later that the devout
gathered at the early morning mass
in the cathedral watching with in